Posh is a proper Fashion House

As she retires from “singing” (and posing) with the Spice Girls and settles (back) into life in London, Victoria Beckham is making it clear that going forward, she is all fashion, all the time.

Her online shopping site launched this week, and her recommended pick? Sunglasses. Like a pair of $850 aviators.

Let me tell you I am all about the sunglasses; I carry at least 2 pairs and wear them constantly. I am the asshole who wears sunglasses in the rain (I have really sensitive eyes). Sometimes I spend $20, sometimes I spend $400 (I’ve found no amount of money can protect you from sitting on them). Victoria’s shades are definitely on the high end of the spectrum, along the lines of Tom Ford. So why would anyone splurge on Victoria Beckham when they can buy from a proper luxury brand? Because, amazingly, Beckham has managed to combine the two most aspirational elements of celebrity and fashion in a way no one before her has.

The fashion industry relies on its off-brand (aka middle class) customers buying a small bottle of perfume, which will give them a connection to something they can’t afford. Designers (and the conglomerates that own them) know this and pump out sunglasses, bags and fragrances to fill the mass market, which is how they fund their clothing lines.

Combine that with our obsession with copying celebrity style and you get Victoria Beckham: a fashion house, a walking brand billboard and an inspiration for the masses.

The aspirational buy is easy: $100 on a perfume, $400 on a bag. Not cheap, but manageable – and it comes with a bit of a thrill. That is what Victoria Beckham is hoping for with her picks – even if you don’t have $2700 for a dress, you may be able to shell out $535 on cat-eye sunglasses and feel like you could be married to David Beckham.

Many of the styles are already sold out, so clearly the strategy is working. Click here to see. (Lainey PS. I just bought a pair of Ray-Ban oversize aviators. SO much cheaper.)

Here she is carrying Harper with one arm today. Her upper body strength must be amazing. After 15 seconds of carrying my son like that I tap out and do the hideously unflattering (and unphotogenic) two-arm waddle because 1. My arm is tired and 2. I feel weirdly off balance, and I barely wear really high heels. From the looks of it, my son is smaller than Harper, so seriously – does Victoria work out with a trainer especially for this pose? Or am I just exceptionally wimpy?